Photographic film carrier



June 30, 1942. J. L. Roman PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM CARRIER Filed Oct. 22, 1940 Zhwentpr Jeanne, L.Fi0,d1er

8g Q wiiness I HQYbeYf C. Covey attorney Patented June 30, 1942 UNHTED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE PHOT'OGRAIHIC FILM CARRIER Jeanne L. Rodier, Worcester, Mass. Application October 22, 1940, Serial No. 362,299

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a photographic film carrier and more particularly to a device for supporting and transporting a developed and fixed photographic film before and after it is dried.

It is often necessary, when an emergency patient is brought to a hospital, to make an X- ray photograph and quickly develop and fix the image and then submit it to a doctor or other hospital attendant before there is time to dry the wet film. The film may be very large in size and can be handled satisfactorily only in a frame support; hence the roentgenologist brings the Wet film to the doctor in the carrier frame and tries, usually unsuccessfully, to prevent the solution from dripping onto the floor and the clothes of the persons who have to inspect the film closely and for a considerable period of time. Where several films are required, there is the further danger of the wet films coming into contact with each other or other objects and injuring or destroying the image.

It is the primary object of my invention to overcome these problems and to provide a carrier for photographic films which will catch and hold the dripping fluid and which will hold a number of films separated in a spaced relationship, whereby the wet films may be readily stored and handled as required. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have there shown a film carrier adapted to support large sizes of films, as well as the dental and other small sized films, the figure being an isometric view partly broken away to show the details of construction.

This device may be made of sheet metal stamped and bent to form the necessary parts, and the metal parts may be plated with a metal or coated with a protective coating of any suitable material. As illustrated, the framework comprises four vertical angular members It! forming corner posts which are connected together by the long bars I! and the shorter bars l2 at the top and the long bars H3 and the shorter bars id at the bottom. Supplementary vertical ribs It are provided for strengthening purposes. The open topped framework may be carried by means of a U-shaped handle l8 pivotally mounted on the pins 29 located at the middle of the cross ribs 52 of the frame and extending 1ongitudinally of the carrier. The short arms 22 of the handle are long enough so that the handle may be pivotally moved to a position where it lies awa from the open top of the carrier and so does not interfere with the loading and removal of the films.

One feature of this invention involves providing the carrier with supports for the films which hold them spaced and prevent them from contacting with one another. The photographic film 24 may be temporarily mounted in any suitable type of frame which holds it stretched and in a single plane. Such a frame may comprise a wire 25 bent to form a U-shaped body which is welded at its upper ends to a cross member 26. A resilient bent wire 21 may be welded at its central portion to the cross member 26, and its downwardly projecting end portions provide resilient supports for the film. The film 24 may be secured to these ends of the wire 21 by means of a pair of suitable clips 28, and it is secured to the bottom portion of the frame by means of another pair of clips 29, the parts being of such dimensions and arrangement that the film is held stretched between these two pairs of clips.

In order that a plurality of films in their frames may be supported in the carrier without danger of their touching each other, I provide a pair of opposed channel members, made preferably of corrugated metal strips 3%. These are located near the top of the carrier in such positions and arrangement that they will both support the crossbars 26 of the frames and prevent lateral swinging of the vertical rods 32 of these frames. To this end, the corrugated metal pieces are made of a considerable vertical length, as illustrated, and the extensive or elongated channels between the vertical walls 34 and 3% of the corrugated members have such dimensions that thevertical rods 32 of the frames will slidably fit within these channels and will be prevented from swinging laterally to any material extent. The right hand corrugated member may be welded to the top crossbar l2 and the left hand member may be similarly welded to a supplemental crossbar 38. The spacing of these two members is such that the vertical rods 32 of the frame will slide therein, while the ends of the top bar 26, which is longer than the lower crossbar of the frame, will project over the tops of these two corrugated strips and be supported thereon.

In order to hold the crossbars 25 in proper spaced relationship, I preferably cut away the tops of the rear walls of the corrugated members, as illustrated, to provide the shallow grooves or slots into which the ends of the crossbars 26 may be inserted and there supported. The vertical bars 32 of the frames may engage the inner faces of the channels and so prevent endwise movement of the frame, or the ends of the cross rods 26 may engage the supporting crossbars l2 and 38. It will be appreciated that various other constructional members may be substituted for the corrugated strips 30 in order to provide the vertical grooves or channels which prevent swinging of the frame 32 and to insure proper spacing of the bars 26; but in any case it is desired that the frames be not only supported in their required positions but that they be prevented from swinging laterally since otherwise the films might contact with one another and injure the image surfaces. Crossbars 42 have also been provided at the top left hand end of the carrier, and these are arranged for supporting carriers of dental film or other small films which ma be hung by hooks from these bars.

A further feature of this invention involves the provision of a receptacle which is located beneath the films and so positioned that any liquid dripping from the films will be caught and held therein. This tray is preferably shallow and removable, and it is so constructed and arranged as not to interfere with the storage and use of the film. For this purpose, I may employ a shallow tray having a solid bottom 44, side walls 45 and end walls 46, together with a handle 43 connected to the front end wall for removing the tray from the carrier. The tray may be slidably mounted on the inturned fianges 59 of the L-shaped angle irons forming the frame members I l. The front cross member I5 is arranged above the tray so that the latter may be readily slid into position therebeneath. This tray extends throughout the entire length of the carrier and beneath and beyond both the large films 24 and any small films that may be supported on the cross rods 42 so as to catch all liquid that drips therefrom. Since the carrier may be of a considerable size, I have also provided casters 54, which are suitably pivotally mounted on the bottom of the frame so that the frame may be readily moved about the floor without requiring that it be carried by the handle I8.

The operation and use of the carrier will be apparent in view of the above description. The wet film fresh from the developing and fixing baths and wash water is supported on its frame; and this frame is inserted from above into the open ended, elongated channels and slid into place so that the crossbars 26 rest on the shoulclers 4!). In this position, the frame cannot swing laterally to any material extent. The tray beneath is longer than the film and so located that it catches all liquid dripping therefrom. The carrier my be transported by means of the handle I8 or the casters 54, or both. The device may serve as a storage receptacle for the films without danger of injury thereto, provided rea-- sonable precautions are taken not to touch the wet film surfaces. The cross rods 42 are particularly useful for supporting not only small films but also accessories, such as a towel used by the roentgenologist or doctor, or an identification card bearing the name of the patient. Other constructional features may be added for these and other purposes.

' If desired, the framework may be enclosed in a light proof container, or its walls so constructed as to provide an enclosure having light proof sides and bottom and a removable cover. In such a case, film may be stored or transported in the device both before and. after it has been developed. It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in the construction and other features incorporated therein as may be desired. The above description is to be interpreted as illustrating the general principles of the invention and my preferred embodiment of construction and not as a limitation on the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A photographic film carrier for supporting film frames, each of which has spaced parallel side members and a top crossbar connected thereto which projects horizontally beyond said members and means for supporting a film between said parts, comprising vertical and horizontal side and end walls forming an open framework, spaced vertical ribs projecting inwardly from the end walls near the top of the framework which provide extensive open topped channels into which said frame side members may slide, said ribs separating and preventing lateral swinging of the frames, opposed horizontal supports at the top of the framework which are arranged to be engaged by the projecting ends of said crossbars and support the film frames and permit ready removal thereof, a removable tray having imperforate sides and bottom arranged to catch and hold any liquid dripping from the films on said frames, slide runways near the bottom of the framework which slidably support the tray for a horizontal movement into and out of position beneath the suspended film frames, and a handle for carrying the carrier which is movably mounted on the framework and arranged to be moved from a carrying position above the film frames to one where it will not interfere with the vertical removal of the film frames from said channels.

2. A photographic film carrier for supporting film frames, each of which has spaced parallel side members and a top crossbar connected thereto which projects horizontally beyond said members and means for suspending a film between said parts, comprising spaced vertical and horizontal side and end walls forming an open framework, spaced vertical ribs projecting inwardly from the end walls which provide narrow open topped channels into which said frame side members may slide, said ribs being spaced to separate and prevent lateral swinging of the frames, opposed horizontal supports at the top of the framework which are arranged to be engaged by the projecting ends of said crossbars and support the film frames and permit ready removal thereof, an imperforate bottom spaced from said supports by a distance substantially greater than the height of the film frame, low imperforate sides forming with said bottom a shallow open topped receptacle which is located beneath and spaced from the suspended frames so as to catch all of the fiuid dripping therefrom without permitting the fluid to contact again with the film frames, said open framework permitting access to the receptacle, and a handle attached to the framework which is positioned and arranged to provide for vertical removal of the film frames from said channels.

JEANNE L. RODIER. 

